Tuesday, November 24, 2015

It’s a Big, Gaming World

Is a gamer someone who only plays Xbox or PS3 Games, like Call of
Duty and Madden? Sure. However, gamers have diversified over the years.
In the early years, gamers were, by and large, mature adults. Sure,
children and teenagers played Pong and Space Invaders, but casual games
that catered to younger audiences didn’t really appear until Nintendo
released the NES.

Over the generations of consoles (and the PC, the poor thing), gamers
have largely been mature, male adults and teenagers. Now, I’m not
saying they composed the entirety of the gaming community, but they were
most often stereotyped into the title “gamer.” Why males are more
likely to become gamers isn’t something I can sum up on my own.
Nowadays, gamers can be defined in much more diverse terms, even if said
gamers don’t consider themselves “gamers.”

With the rising popularity of the Wii console, iPhones and their
Android competitors, gaming has diversified. If you play Candy Crush
with every second of your spare time, you’re probably a gamer. If you
only play Call of Duty and Madden, you’re probably a gamer. If you play
indie games, you’re probably a gamer.

“Gamer” is still a term portioned out to more “hardcore” players.
People who play any MMO are considered gamers. For the most part,
spending more than 4 hours a day playing games marks you as a gamer.

So, what does that mean?

Today, as I’ve said, most people who own a smartphone, Xbox, PS3,
Wii, PC, or any game-carrying device can be given the title “gamer.”
Yet, that’s not how most people view the term. Imagine you meet a new
person. You’re sharing info about your lives, when they ask, “What do
you like to do?” You respond non-chalantly, “I play games.” The response
you receive can vary wildly, from enthusiastic “Yeah! That’s awesome!”
to “What a waste of time.”

I am of the opinion that games have been a benefit to the cultures of
the world. Creativity is fueled by gamers and developers. It’s an art
of expression, story, and visual experience. That is how I feel.
Do I sometimes think, “Man, I could be doing something else.”? Sure.
However, I don’t regret the many hundreds of hours I put into SWG, World
of Warcraft, and countless other games in my life. I’ve learned from
them, if nothing else.

So, if you’re a gamer, you don’t need to feel shame from non-gamers
(whomever they are). Gaming, and what you gain from it, is entirely up
to you.

On that note, if you stay up 24+ hours playing video games and
drinking energy drinks, I am not responsible for any health problems.
It’s all up to you, after all.